Saturday's team selection, next season & Poyet's attitude!

[Simster]

Not sure it matters too much what message it sends out to Painter, anyway that's Gus job to manage his players expectations. I'd have had Reyes, El Abd or even Vincelot ahead of a player who was just back from an injury in such an important game.

In hindsight, you are absolutely right. Painter was skinned time and time again in the first half. It really was embarrassing.

But prior to the match starting, I simply don't believe his biggest f*** up was to pick his specialist left back over makeshift defenders. I think it was the Millwall game when AEA was played at left back and was caused all sorts of problems. God knows what would've happened if he'd been moved there for this one and we'd got done 6-0...

 

[BLOCK F]

Not sure it matters too much what message it sends out to Painter, anyway that's Gus job to manage his players expectations. I'd have had Reyes, El Abd or even Vincelot ahead of a player who was just back from an injury in such an important game.

Agreed.Poyet's tinkering has bordered on the obsessive lately.It is almost like he can't help himself.
Yes,we have done quite well this season,but we have spent a lot of wedge by our standards and yet much of our expenditure is either sitting on the bench/or stands even,so one has to ask if Gus has bought foolishly, or if not, why can't he get the best out of the expensive signings he has made?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

I didn't go but it seems to me that we lost because we gave the ball away FAR too cheaply.

This. I cant remember which manager (think it was Eddie Howe) who said Brighton will GIVE it back to eventually.

Notice the word GIVE.

 

[Monsieur Le Plonk]

In hindsight, you are absolutely right. Painter was skinned time and time again in the first half. It really was embarrassing.

But prior to the match starting, I simply don't believe his biggest f*** up was to pick his specialist left back over makeshift defenders. I think it was the Millwall game when AEA was played at left back and was caused all sorts of problems. God knows what would've happened if he'd been moved there for this one and we'd got done 6-0...

As I said earlier I wasn't at the game but (and I don't mean to prolong this crusade against Painter) he has been found wanting for pace on every single game I saw him play this season before his injury. Where was the hindsight back then?

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I didn't go but it seems to me that we lost because we gave the ball away FAR too cheaply. You can't do that at this level, whatever your team selection. For me, Poyet's biggest mistake has been bringing back Dicker (too early?). Based on what I saw v Reading, he simply hasn't adjusted to this level of football since returning, and the fact that he gave the ball away for two of the West Ham goals (one pass was partularly woeful) seems to back this up.

The main reason why we lost is that we just didn't have enough quality on the pitch to cope with West Ham. The other factors were putting Dicker and Painter into a game like that both of whom have had 30 minutes of football between them after lengthy injuries. A goalkeeping howler (there was massive swerve on the ball but still, one of the situations where punching would have been OK) from Bezovan , as well as Painter getting skinned time after time, started it all off and there you go. Well, and Vaz Te had a magnificant game.

We could have potentially put out any number of different teams and configurations on that pitch and I strongly believe we still would have lost. A lot has been said about how strong our squad is but that's based on how strong it looks compared to last season when we have a fit Mattock, Reyes, Vicente, Buckley et al all on the pitch. Without those players involved we are at best a midtable team. Even with them involved we can't compete with West Ham, Southampton (okay we beat them at home but after Lambert was sent off), Reading and Blackpool. On a good day our best team would be able to compete with Boro and Cardiff (an upper mid table/playoff team). Why didn't we have more of those players involved? Well only Gus knows that and I'm glad to hear that there will be a culling as the squad is full up with a lot of filler that have no experience in this league.

It was like men versus boys against West Ham and we badly need some Premier League experience in the team, particularly in the centre of the park along with a good goalkeeper.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

This. I cant remember which manager (think it was Eddie Howe) who said Brighton will GIVE it back to eventually.

Notice the word GIVE.

We are often very very sloppy, part of that comes from our style of play- more passes leads to more noticeable missed passes when it goes wrong but nonetheless we are very sloppy at times.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

We are often very very sloppy, part of that comes from our style of play- more passes leads to more noticeable missed passes when it goes wrong but nonetheless we are very sloppy at times.

I would though caveat that Gus goes absolutely BONKERS when we do!

 

[Brightonfan1983]

"I think we were very fair with the whole squad that won the league last year, now the other side is coming, the ugly part."

I think that's your answer.

 

[cjd]

Like others, was so disappointed when I heard the team line-up.

My thoughts at this stage was that his intention, was to flood the midfield and soak up any pressure from West Ham with 9 capable defensive players (excluding Vicente and Assaulin) on the pitch. West Ham hadn't won at home for 7 games...the pressure was on them.......surely if the plan was going to work....it would just be a matter of time before Gus unleashed Lua Lua against a side hopefully being barracked by their own supporters, and lacking belief. How wrong could I (or Gus for that matter) have been....!

Painter looked unfit...and received no cover from Assaulin, or any of the other midfield players. He was slaughtered time and time again. As for Brezovan, he will often freeze in the big games.....Saturday was no exception. Greer was pushed off the ball far too easily. Navarro showed his limitations....(as he has done since he joined us).....too slow....not strong enough. Barnes up front on his own.....WTF.......the weakest part of his game is his first touch....most definitely not what we needed with that line-up. Dicker.....great player on his day.....this wasn't one of them......gives away possession far too often at this level. Vicente....the silver lining on a very, very dark cloud.The rest were average.

Roll on Tuesday.......still can't get enough of football this season.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

"I think we were very fair with the whole squad that won the league last year, now the other side is coming, the ugly part."

I think that's your answer.

Is that a Gus quote?

 

[Brightonfan1983]

Is that a Gus quote?

Nicked from Andy Naylor on Twitter just now. I sense a cull of tragic proportions.